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Monday, December 15, 2014

My contributions to the Fall 2014 term of instruction at Oklahoma State University have ended. At the end of the term, I had four classes: ENGL 2413.005, ENGL 3323.004, ENGL 3323.006, and ENGL 3323.007--Introduction to Literature and three sections of Technical Writing.

ENGL 2413.005
End-of-term enrollment: 21
Average course grade: 659/1000 (D)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 0
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 7

Notably, two students failed as a direct result of excessive absences (10+ over the term). Others failed due to absence penalties short of direct failure (seven to nine absences during the term). Non-submission of assignments also influenced the relatively high failure rate.

ENGL 3323.004
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 743/1000 (C)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 3
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 2

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences.

ENGL 3323.006
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 801/1000 (B)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 3
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 1

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences.

ENGL 3323.007
End-of-term enrollment: 19
Average course grade: 752/1000 (C)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 2
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 2

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences. Another failed as a result of plagiarism.

Comments
Numbers across classes do not track well from the previous term's report, as no classes are common between the two terms. For the technical writing classes, average numbers seem to be down a bit from the previous fall's report, although individuals did do better than their earlier counterparts. One suggestion is that grading practices are stabilizing, perhaps due to greater familiarity with the student body in place.

The literature class remains an outlier, however. Instruction in it was modeled after that used to great effect in a nearly-parallel course taught last term, with an additional step in the process of composing a conference-length paper inserted as acknowledgement of the somewhat lower level of the class as designated. In addition, the amount of commentary required of students on a weekly basis was lowered, and a grade-floor imposed upon it; no student received lower than 5/10 for the homework. Even so, performance was not as good as could have been hoped; a number of students neglected the homework largely or entirely, and several commented during class time that their efforts on the papers began the week they were due (instead of a month or so before, when they were assigned), if not the night before they were to be turned in. The work submitted often supported such assertions. More consideration of the assignments and sequence in the class will have to be undertaken.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Section 004
Class began at 10:00am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen received credit for attendance, verified by the FinEx that occupied class time.

Section 007
Class began at 2:00pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen received credit for attendance, verified by the FinEx that occupied class time.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Class began at 2:00pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified through the FinEx that occupied the class's meeting time.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Class began at 10:00am in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by the summative exam with which the class was occupied.

Exams began to come in just before 11am. The last exam from the students in the room was submitted at 11:44am.

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion reviewed the quiz from last class and concluded Midsummer Night's Dream; some comments on the summative exam were also offered. Student attendance was good, if somewhat prone to distraction.

Class was followed the same pattern as the earlier sections', but a paperwork error resulted in loss of the regular classroom; review was truncated, and students were tasked to develop their projects independently.

Students in all sections are reminded that the FinEx page has updated.